Like Uncle, Like Niece and Other Stories
by KylaRyan
Summary: AU. A collection of oneshots following Erica McCoy, the empathic niece of Leonard McCoy, on her adventures aboard the starship Enterprise.
1. Like Uncle, Like Niece

**Disclaimer: **Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Erica McCoy is all mine.

**Author's Notes: **I blame KCS for this, and you should too (not that it's a bad thing). Just a random snapshot into an ST:TOS AU I'm working on. Also, I've only seen about five episode of ST:TOS in recent memory, so if there's any OOC-ness in this, that's why. FYI, Erica's empathic/telepathic....and I swear I haven't had anything with caffeine in it, why are you insisting otherwise?

**Warnings: **AU, Possible OOC-ness

* * *

"Good morning, Uncle," Erica McCoy chirped cheerily as she entered Sickbay, where her uncle, _Enterprise_'s Chief Medical Officer, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, had spent the entirety of the previous evening dealing with an anemic Vulcan (a side effect of having been a bit too close to an exploding console on the Bridge).  
"What's so good about it?" the CMO growled.  
"Well, the coffee's excellent today," Erica replied, holding out a mug to her uncle as she spoke.  
"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to be drinking coffee until your 18th birthday?"  
"Well, the Captain told me to bring you some coffee, since he didn't want you to miss out on it," she explained.  
"And I expect he wants you to play messenger pigeon while the comms are down as well?" McCoy demanded.  
"Well, I wanted to help fix the comms, but the Captain was too afraid of what you'd do if I got hurt," Erica explained.  
"Did he actually say that or did you read his mind again?" McCoy asked.  
The silence that greeted his question spoke volumes.  
McCoy sighed.  
"Erica, we've been over this a hundred times, you can't just read people's minds without permission," he lectured.  
"But I couldn't help myself, Uncle," Erica objected.  
"You need to learn how to, Erica, before you read the wrong mind."  
"Your patient is about to head off to the Bridge," Erica announced.  
McCoy groaned.  
"You really need to stop doing that," he informed his niece before turning around to bellow at his Vulcan patient, "Get back in bed this instant, you green-blooded hobgoblin! You may be a Vulcan, but you're also my patient!"  
"If your Rigolaya(1) were in better control of her emotions, Doctor, then I would not have to leave Sickbay," Spock declared.  
"I like how you refer to me in Vulcan, Mister Spock," Erica declared to no one in particular.  
"Erica, why don't you be helpful and go tell the Captain that his First Officer has regained consciousness," McCoy ordered.  
The girl muttered something under her breath before turning around and leaving Sickbay in a huff.  
"Your disregard for anatomical limitations appears to be hereditary, Doctor," the Vulcan observed, his superior hearing allowing him to hear perfectly what McCoy's niece had muttered.

* * *

1. Vulcan, "Empath".


	2. Aerial Negotiations

**Disclaimer: **Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Erica McCoy is all mine.

**Title: **Aerial Negotiations

**Author's Notes: **This story was originally written up during pre-calculus class last week. This probably would have been posted sooner if I hadn't been having problems with the internet connection at school...among other things.

**Warnings: **AU, Minor Plot Spoilers (for a fic I haven't actually written yet)

* * *

Erica muttered something under her breath, making Kirk raise one brow in surprise. He had never heard the usually mild-mannered young woman swear before, and here he was, halfway up a steep cliff face, listening to his CMO's niece use language that would make an Orion pirate blush.  
"What's wrong, Erica?" Kirk finally asked, his arms beginning to ache from holding his weight as he clung for dear life to the rocky cliff face (it was a long way down, and there wasn't anything between him and certain death at the foot of the cliff).  
"There's a hawk-like bird circling overhead, Captain," Erica replied. "And it's big enough to carry you off in its talons."  
"Maybe it's not interested in us, Erica," Kirk suggested hopefully, but Erica shook her head.  
"It has its eyes set on you, Captain," she said.  
"How can you be sure of that?" Kirk challenged.  
"It's like a Polluxian jaguarundi(1)," Erica explained. "It's telepathic."  
"Can it make its prey come willingly to it, Erica?" Kirk asked, recalling how one of the telepathic felines had killed one of his crew members before turning its sights on Erica's uncle. It had only been the timely arrival of Erica and her domesticated jaguarundi, Malika, that had spared the doctor from becoming the huge predator's dinner.  
"Luckily for us, it can't," Erica replied.  
"Can you make it go after some other prey animal instead of us, Erica?" Kirk asked, a desparate plan beginning to form in his mind.  
"Maybe," Erica replied. "But I don't think I can do it while rock climbing without any sort of safety equipment."  
"Why?" Kirk asked.  
"I might let go of the cliff, Captain," Erica replied matter-of-factly.  
Kirk couldn't order her to act in his defense, not when she could die. Bones would never forgive him if Erica died to save him.  
The decision was abruptly taken from him as the giant bird shrieked, plunging into a steep dive at the side of the cliff where they clung to the rocks. Kirk cringed, expecting at any moment to be plucked off of the cliff by talons.  
But they never came.  
Confused, he looked up at where Erica had been clinging to the rocks, leading the way up the cliff. He was horrified to find her gone.  
_Bones is going to_ kill _me_, Kirk groaned to himself.  
"For a Starfleet captain who refuses to believe in no-win situations, you are pretty quick to mourn the living, Captain," a voice called out from behind him.  
Kirk carefully turned around, only to find himself face to face with a great hawk-like bird.  
"Jump, Captain," the voice said in encouragement. "Don't worry, Jarak will catch you."  
"Jarak?" Kirk asked, eying the giant hawk with distrust.  
"It's Polluxian for 'great hawk', Captain," Erica explained from her perch between Jarak's shoulders.  
Jarak chirped.  
"Of course, he doesn't see the point in names," Erica admitted. "But he is willing to accept the name for however long we have need of his assistance."  
"How did you convince him to help us, Erica?" Kirk asked.  
"There is no love lost between the Cav and the wildlife of this planet, Captain," Erica replied. "It was just a matter of explaining to him that you were not a Cav."  
"What about you?" Kirk asked, picking up on her choice of words.  
"He already knew I was not a Cav," Erica replied. "How he knew, I don't know, and I did not ask him."  


* * *

1. Jaguarundi are huge, jaguar-like felines native to the jungles of Pollux V (where Erica is from), infamous for their long canines (simillar to the extinct saber-tooth tigers of Earth) and for their telepathic abilities. Revered by the Polluxian natives, who view the jaguarundi as servants of the Great Mother Goddess, little is known about this unusual feline species.


	3. Malika

_Just as a note, this collection of stories will likely include more scraps of stories, bits of ideas that I've written down and then posted here to share with you guys just like 'Aerial Negotiations'._

**Disclaimer: **Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Erica McCoy is all mine.

**Title: **Malika

**Author's Notes: **This story is a glimpse into Erica's life between the death of her parents and her reunion with her uncle. It also introduces a new character to the series, the jaguarundi Erica befriends, Malika.

**Warnings: **AU, references to violence.

* * *

Erica looked up sharply at the sound of approaching footsteps. Seeing nothing, she reached out for the mind of the person approaching her with her own mind, a behavior that had become reflexive after only six months of depending entirely on herself for survival in the jungles of Pollux V following the brutal genocide of the Polluxian tribe her parents had been studying.  
To her surprise, she encountered the mind of a female jaguarundi, the greatest predator on the planet, instead of the Carex warrior she was expecting.  
But she was even more surprised at the image of men with spears-warriors of the Carex Tribe, Erica recognized them-, following the lead of another man-a healer, Erica recognized the Polluxian symbol for the healing arts embroidered on his clothes, though what a Healer was doing leading a hunt, she couldn't say-, that she found there in the jaguarundi's mind.  
Suddenly the image was cut off from the girl, as the jaguarundi sensed her presence in its mind.  
_Help kit, Off-worlder._  
The words were accompanied with an image of the jaguarundi hiding her young kit under a bush before running off to draw the warriors away from her kit.  
Before Erica could question the jaguarundi-what the girl wouldn't give to have Dominga back in the land of the living, to tell her how to commune with a jaguarundi!-, the great feline was gone, out of range of Erica's mind.  
But Erica was not alone, the jaguarundi kit was there, mewling for its mother.  
Following the infant's cries, Erica was easily able to find the kit under a bush, right where its mother had told her the kit would be.  
The human picked up the kit and gently cradled it in her arms.  
"I fear you're on your own in this great big jungle, little kit," Erica informed the kit-a girl, she noted in the back of her mind.  
_Mommy?_  
"I fear that the mean warriors are gonna end up killing her," Erica said sadly, heading for the cave she now thought of as home. "But don't worry, I'll take care of you. We orphans have to stick together, don't you know?"  
_Orphans?_  
"We are parentless, family-less," Erica explained. "We are _malika_, those without a tribe."  
_Name?_  
"Call me Erica," the human replied. "And what should I call you?"  
_I no-name. Too young._  
"Is it alright if I gave you a name?" Erica asked.  
_Not alright. Must chose own name, Erica._  
"Oh, okay. What should I call you then?" Erica repeated.  
_I have no name until I name myself._  
Erica gave up on coming up with a name for the jaguarundi kit for the time being.


	4. Miracle

**Disclaimer: **Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Erica McCoy is all mine.

**Title: **Miracle

**Author's Notes: **This was a scrap of a story written during pre-calculus that got a _bit_ out of hand...

**Warnings: **AU, violence.

* * *

"Do you believe in miracles, Doctor?" the blue-skinned alien asked.  
"After all my years onboard the _Enterprise_, of course I believe in miracles, Mara," McCoy replied. "Why?"  
"Because I think someone has managed the impossible and escaped without tripping the alarms, Doctor," Mara replied, pointing in the murky darkness of the pit that had been their shared home for the past month and a half, towards where two of the newest additions to the slave population of this planet had bedded down for the night.  
Only, they weren't there any more.  
"Where could they have gone, Mara?" McCoy asked, but Mara only shrugged in reply.  
"I don't know, Doctor," she admitted.  
That was when a powerful explosion rocked the slave pit.  
"What was that?" Mara asked fearfully.  
"Sounds like someone just blew up the power generators," one of the other newcomers observed, McCoy couldn't remember his name.  


* * *

"When I said to deal with the generators, Mr. Spock, I didn't expect you to use an explosive device," Kirk grumbled as he dusted off the rags that served as clothes for the slaves of the Cormarani.  
"It was not my idea, Captain," the half-Vulcan replied.  
"Don't tell me that you actually _listened_ to Erica, Spock," groaned Kirk, as hurried footsteps heralded the arrival of the third member of their group, Erica McCoy.  
"We'd better get a move on, the guards are starting to move this way," she informed them. "Mr. Spock, how come that explosion was so big? You said-"  
"All will be explained in time, Miss McCoy," Spock quickly interjected, "but now is not the time nor the place."  
"Which way to the slave pits, Erica?" Kirk asked, giving his First Officer a look that clearly stated that he was not off the hook.  
"Follow me, Uncle Jim," Erica replied. "We're going to have to take the long way around."  


* * *

"Some rescue," grumbled McCoy, as the sky began to lighten with the coming of dawn, hours after the generators had been demolished.  
"Perhaps it is just some new cruel game of the Cormarani, Doctor," Mara suggested, the despair in her voice breaking the gruff doctor's heart.  
"It certainly looks like it," McCoy morosely agreed.  
"What do you think, Pa?" one of the other slaves suddenly remarked to his companion, who wordlessly shrugged in reply. McCoy figured that "Pa", like many slaves he'd been working alongside in recent weeks, was unable to speak.  
"About this rescue Mara and Doctor are talking about, Pa, what else?" the slave insisted, earning a glare from Pa, who was clearly annoyed with his talkative companion.  
Their interaction reminded McCoy of Chekov and Sulu, and the doctor wondered what the two were doing right now.  
_Probably looking for me,_ the doctor figured.  
"Breakfast ho!" a female voice called out from above, alerting the inhabitants of the slave pit to the pending arrival of breakfast and cutting short any further thoughts on the crew of the _Enterprise_ that McCoy might have had.  
"Huh, they must have someone else bringing our food today, Doctor," Mara remarked.  
"I could have sworn tht I just heard my niece's voice, Mara," McCoy agreed.  
"How 'bout now, Pa?" the slave asked.  
McCoy figured that the slave was desperate for some kind of verbal reply from Pa, a reply the doctor was completely certain that he wasn't going to get any time soon-if ever.  
"I thought it was an insane idea, Hikaru," Pa replied, startling McCoy, "but clearly, they pulled it off."  
"Sulu? Chekov?"  
"Aye, Docktor," Pa-or as he was rightly known as, Pavel Chekov-replied, even as his companion, Hikaru Sulu, said, "The one and only, Doctor."  
"You know these men?" Mara asked.  
"Know them?" McCoy replied. "They serve on the _Enterprise_ with me, Mara."  
"We're just waiting for the effects of the generator to disappate before Mr. Scott beams everyone aboard the _Titos_," Sulu informed McCoy.  
"_Titos_?" McCoy asked, confused.  
"My ship, Doctor McCoy," another voice spoke from the shadows behind Chekov and Sulu.  
"Your ship?"  
"Aye, Doctor, my ship," the man replied. "My name is Astral Kodos. The _Titos_ is a Federation transport ship, designed to carry large numbers of people throughout the galaxy."  
"Kodos?" McCoy asked suspeciously.  
"I believe you have had the bad luck to cross paths with my great-uncle, Doctor," Astral replied.  
"You could say that," McCoy agreed.  
"Let me assure you that I am nothing like him, Doctor McCoy," Astral declared.  
"Well, since Erica clearly trusts you, then I guess I should do the same, Captain Kodos," McCoy remarked.  
"Call me Astral, Doctor," Astral corrected.  
"Okay, people, listen up!" a voice bellowed, loud enough for all of the slaves to hear. "In a moment, rescue workers from the _Titos_will beam down to organize you all into groups to be beamed back up to the _Titos_. To facillate the process, I have been asked to direct you to assemble into family groups."  
McCoy looked around the pit, as the slaves-eager to be free of their Cormarani masters-did as they had been bidden, but he was unable to spot the speaker, his niece.  
"Mara, don't you have a family to be with?" McCoy asked as he realized that the blue-skinned alien was still beside him.  
Mara shook her head.  
"I was disowned by my family as soon as I was old enough to work as a slave, Doctor," she informed him sadly. "I was not born a slave."  
The doctor's blood ran cold at Mara's words.  
"You are Cormarani, Mara?" Chekov asked.  
Mara nodded.  
"Why were you disowned by your family, Mara?" Astral asked, as the first of the Federation rescue workers arrived in a focused shower of sparkling light.  
"My parents disobeyed Cormarani law by being together without their parents' blessings," Mara explained. "My birth only made things worse."  
"They never regretted having you, Mara," a voice said from behind McCoy.  
The doctor turned to find himself face to face with Spock, Kirk, and Erica.  
"How do you know what my parents thought of me, Pointy Ears?" Mara demanded of Spock, her reference to his pointed ears a product of her ignorance of his identity.  
"You will see, Mara," Erica replied. "And his name is 'Spock', not 'Pointy Ears'."  
"Captain Astral, your crew would appreciate your presence," Kirk informed Astral, "particularly your First Officer."  
"I do hope she didn't bite anyone again," Astral remarked.  
"It was a close thing, Astral," Kirk admitted.  
"Astral!" called a voice from where the other slaves were being processed before being beamed aboard the _Titos_.  
"The wife is calling, Captain," Astral informed Kirk. "Is this good bye?"  
The captain of the _Enterprise_ shook his head.  
"Not yet, Astral," he said. "We are to escort you to the nearest starbase."  
"I'll talk with you once we've gotten everyone settled onboard the _Titos_," Astral informed Kirk before heading over to his wife, the First Officer of the _Titos_.  
Mara made to follow him, figuring that she would be heading to the _Titos_ as well, but Kirk stopped her.  
"You are coming with us to the _Enterprise_, Mara," he told her.  
"I am?" Mara asked in surprise. "Why?"  
"You'll see, Mara," Erica repeated with a self-satisfied grin.  
"Kirk to Scott, seven to beam up," Kirk said into his communicator.  
**Aye, sir**, replied the Chief Engineer.  


* * *

"Do you think she will forgive us for allowing the Council to take her away from us, Mythimum?" asked the taller of the two blue-skinned humanoids accompanying Commander Scott in the _Enterprise_ transporter room.  
"She has every right to hate us for that, Pa'tram," his wife, Mythimum, observed.  
"Surely there was more we could have done to keep her safe, Mythimum," Pa'tram insisted.  
Mythimum shook her head.  
"You know as well as I do, Pa'tram, that we did everything we could do to keep her safe," she reminded her husband.  
Further debate was curtailed by Captain Kirk's voice on the comm, informing Commander Scott of the size of his party.  
"Aye, sir," the Scotsman said in acknowledgement of his Captain's command.  
Moments later, seven figures materialized on the transporter pads.  
"Mara!" exclaimed Mythimum as she spotted her long-lost daughter.  
"Mother?" Mara said, stunned to see Mythimum and Pa'tram. "Father? Is that really you?"  
"It is, Mara," Pa'tram affirmed as his wife embraced Mara.  


* * *

After Mara was reunited with her parents, the three were beamed over to the _Titos_, where Mara found out that the rescue mission would not have been possible without Mythimum and Pa'tram's assistance.  
Back on the _Enterprise_, Erica was telling her uncle how they would not have been able to rescue him without the knowledge of Cormarani technology Mythimum and Pa'tram willingly provided.  
"But wouldn't it have gone against the Prime Directive to interfere with Cormarani culture the way you did?" McCoy asked.  
Kirk grinned.  
"As it turns out, we'd be going _against_ the Prime Directive if we _didn't_, Bones," he gleefully informed his friend.  
McCoy gave Kirk a look that clearly expressed his opinion of the Captain's sanity.  
"The Captain is correct, Doctor," Spock added. "Though he is omitting several key details."  
"That's why I have you, Spock," Kirk declared.  
Spock glared at Kirk-or at least, it would have been a glare, had he been human-before explaining to McCoy how they had learned-thanks to Pa'tram and Mythimum-of an unusually detailed prophecy on Cormaran foretelling the abduction of the doctor and his subsequent rescue by the _Enterprise_ and the _Titos_.  
"But that's not the coolest part 'bout the prophecy, Uncle Leonard," Erica interjected, her excitement finally getting the best of her. "The prophecy is named after the seer who made it, and you won't _believe_ what her name was, let alone what her name means."  
"What is it, Erica?" McCoy asked, knowning better than to reprimand her for interrupting Spock right then.  
"The seer's name was _Mara_," Erica replied. "And in the language of the Cormarani, the name 'Mara' means 'miracle'."  
Erica was right, McCoy didn't believe it.


	5. Unplanned Camping Trip

**Disclaimer: **Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Erica McCoy is all mine.

**Title: **Unplanned Camping Trip

**Author's Notes: **Not that you really need to know this, but this one was written while listening to the Star Trek XI sound track. And apparently, the events of 'Menagerie' (both parts) never happened in this 'verse...

**Warnings: **AU.

* * *

Erica gasped as green blood poured out of the cup of what had just previously been water only moments earlier.  
"Something wrong with the replicators, Mr. Spock?" the young girl asked hopefully.  
The half-Vulcan shook his head.  
"The replicators are functioning properly, Miss McCoy," he informed her. "Something else caused the replicated water to turn into blood."  
"But what could possibly do that?" Erica demanded.  
Spock shrugged.  
"I don't know, Miss McCoy, and I'd rather not make any hypothesis as to potential causes just yet."  
"In the meanwhile, what are we going to do about food and drinks while we await the return of the _Enterprise_?" Erica's uncle, Leonard H. McCoy, inquired.  
"I'm sure Erica could show us how to survive off the land, Bones," Captain James T. Kirk observed.  
"This is Hox, not Pollux V, Captain," Spock pointed out. "The flora is very different here."  
"Not to mention the fauna," muttered McCoy.  
"I'm sure we can manage with what we've got somehow," Erica said optimistically.  
"I'm a doctor, not a botanist, Erica," McCoy reminded his niece.  
"That's what tricorders are for, Uncle Leonard," quipped Erica.  
McCoy glared at Kirk, who was trying-and for the most part, failing-to stifle his amused snickering at the young girl's quip.  
**Uhura to Kirk. Please respond, Captain.**  
"Lt. Uhura, what a lovely thing it is to hear your voice after all this time," Kirk said into his communicator. "And a most unexpected pleasure as well."  
**Well, you have Admiral Pike to thank for that, sir,** the dark-skinned Communications officer replied.  
"Remind me to send him a thank you card, Lt," Kirk remarked.  
**You're welcome, Captain,** a male voice cut in, Admiral Christopher Pike.  
"Admiral! Taken back my ship in my absence, have you?" Kirk inquired.  
**Only temporarily, Kirk, don't worry,** Pike assured him. **Four to beam up, I presume?**  
"You presume correctly, sir," Kirk replied.


	6. With Lots of Naked People

**A/N:** This is just a bit of random silliness, written for the prompt "embarrassment" on my hc_bingo card. Warnings, au (erica), mentions of pornography

**With Lots of Naked People**

"Yes, Erica," Kirk informed the pre-teen at breakfast one day.  
McCoy raised a brow in confusion, as did Spock.  
"Do I want to know what you two are talking about?" the doctor asked. "'Cause if you're proposin' marriage, Jim..."  
The captain spluttered in surprised shock at the doctor's words.  
"What! No! Bones, I'm not marrying a twelve-year-old," Kirk informed his friend.  
"I also believe that such a marriage would be considered illegal by Starfleet," Spock coolly added.  
Erica snickered.  
"I'd love to see Starfleet stop a marriage," she observed. "They'd have to get a proxy weddin' crasher, like in the movies."  
"Movies? Jim, you're letting her watch romance movies!" the doctor growled.  
"No, I'm not, Bones," insisted Kirk.  
"Yes, he is," Erica innocently claimed. "With lots of naked people."  
"JAMES TIBERIUS KIRK! DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT PORNOGRAPHY IS BAD FOR TWELVE-YEAR-OLDS!" bellowed McCoy, loud enough for the entire Officers' Mess to hear clearly.  
Kirk's cheeks were so red that it looked like he had a high fever.  
"Doctor, is it really necessary to shout so loudly?" Spock asked.  
"Apparently," Erica offered, ignoring the glare Kirk was sending her. **  
**


	7. A New World for Erica

**A/N:** Erica was born on Pollux V, and her first trip to Earth was the _Enterprise_'s first shore leave on Earth after her rescue. And yes, I know there's at least one zoo closer to Starfleet Command than the LA Zoo, but since I am more familiar with the LA Zoo, that's the one Erica wants to go see.

**A New World for Erica  
**

"Where are you going to take Erica first, Bones?" Kirk asked.  
"Erica's made a list of all the places she wants to see during our shore leave on Earth, Jim," McCoy replied. "I haven't seen the list yet, but she's gotten everything all planned out, with help from Chris."  
Kirk chuckled.  
"Why the suspense, Bones?" he asked.  
"Probably because you have a birthday party planned for me as a surprise and don't want something as trivial as my niece's plans for her first time on Earth to interfere," McCoy deduced.  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Bones," Kirk insisted.  
"Whatever you say, Jim," McCoy replied, clearly unconvinced by his friend's claim of innocence.

_Several days later_  
"The Los Angeles Zoo, Erica?" McCoy asked.  
"Mr. Spock recommended it, Uncle Leonard," Erica explained with an excited grin.  
"You have got to be pulling my leg, Erica," McCoy insisted, unable to believe that the half-Vulcan was capable of providing his niece with suggestions of places to visit on Earth (let alone the interest in giving such suggestions).  
"He did, Uncle Leonard!" exclaimed Erica, as they stepped up to the Admissions booth to purchase admission for the LA Zoo.  
Once they were inside the Zoo, Erica opened a map of the zoo on her PADD.  
"Where to first?" McCoy asked, looking over her shoulder at the map.  
"At the beginning, Uncle Leonard," Erica replied, indicating the nearby harbor seal exhibit. "Where else would we start?"  
"Just remember what I said in the shuttle, Erica, and don't wander off on your own," McCoy reminded her.  
"I'm not Uncle Jim," observed Erica. "I don't need to hear things multiple times before I knowingly disregard your orders, Uncle Leonard."  
"Thank goodness for small favors," McCoy agreed.

They were at the orangutan exhibit when McCoy realized that they were being followed.  
Erica noticed her uncle's mood shift from happiness to annoyed, but couldn't figure out why her uncle was suddenly so annoyed.  
"What's the matter, Uncle Leonard?" she asked.  
"Nothing, Erica," McCoy quickly replied, earning him a dark look from his niece that clearly expressed her doubt in his claim.  
"I highly doubt that, Uncle Leonard," she remarked, reinforcing her dark look.  
"Don't worry about it, Erica," McCoy insisted. "It's probably just my imagination, playing tricks on me."  
Erica feigned satisfaction at the doctor's words, and they moved on to the non-terran exhibits.  
McCoy nearly had a heart attack when Erica suddenly vanished from his side without a trace. Certain that the person who had been tailing them had taken his niece, the doctor searched the vicinity in vain for any trace of Erica.  
"What are you looking for, Bones?" an unexpected voice interrupted his darkening thoughts.  
"Jim!" McCoy exclaimed in surprise. "Have you seen Erica?"  
"Erica?" Kirk echo'd.  
McCoy nodded, barely restraining the urge to throttle the blonde.  
"Spock might know, Bones," Kirk mused.  
"Why would Spock know where Erica is, Jim?" McCoy demanded.  
"Probably 'cause I saw the two of them scamper off towards the picnic area just now?" Kirk offered.  
"Why would Erica wander off without telling me first? Even if she's with someone she knows," grumbled McCoy as he headed off after his wayward niece, Kirk close behind on the doctor's heels.  
"You'll have to ask Erica that yourself, Bones," Kirk observed helpfully, earning a scowl from his Chief Medical Officer.  
"Happy birthday, Uncle Leonard!" shouted Erica as McCoy and Kirk entered the picnic area.  
McCoy stared about him in shock, at the streamers and balloons that decorated the area. A banner along the rear fence declared in bright blue letters "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD MCCOY!" Beneath the banner was a picnic table stacked high with gifts. Two other picnic tables had been moved together to form a longer table, on which a veritable buffet of finger foods had been placed-from baby carrots, celery sticks, and some kind of Vulcan vegetable that looked vaguely like cucumber to chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and potato chips, and everything in between. A yeoman was serving punch at another picnic table, while Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel hovered over a huge cake at a picnic table near the table of presents.  
As the doctor looked around him, he suddenly realized that he knew every single person in the picnic area-they were all members of the crew of the _Enterprise_.  
"What-how?" the stunned doctor asked.  
"The curator and I go back a ways, Bones," Kirk explained. "And, well, when I told her we needed a large area for a party, she volunteered this lovely spot for our use." **  
**


End file.
